Anti-Slip Slip-On Slip-Over Roof Safety Shorts

ABSTRACT

Anti-slip clothing with a homogeneous gripping surface for use by anyone with a need to be on steep sloped surface such as a roof which effectuates a reduced coefficient of sliding friction between the wearer and the steep sloped surface. The anti-slip clothing can be an article of clothing such as a shirt, vest, jacket, pancho, coveralls, overalls, pair of shorts, pair of pants, waist-sashes or partial leg coverings, calf and forearm coverings, slip-over clothing such as slip-over shirts and fastenable slip-over shorts worn on the body or over other conventional articles of clothing and which includes a gripping surface applied to an exterior or optionally to the interior surface of the article of clothing so that when the inside non-slip surface contacts with the existing wearers conventional existing clothing it prevents slippage between the anti-slip clothing and the wearers conventional existing clothing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of art to which the invention relates, comprises improvementsin protective wear clothing affording enhanced safety and surface gripwhen worn by anyone traversing upon a pitched roof or sloped surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Homeowners, construction workers, seasonal Christmas lights installers,repairmen, roofers, inspectors, house appraisers, or anyone with a needto be on a roof or sloped surface or a steep sloped surface will benefitfrom the invention. Year after year, falls remain the leading cause ofdeath in the construction industry, accounting for almost one in everythree construction worker deaths. This invention can add an extra factorin injury reduction. Even though those traversing upon the roof mayalready be using existing safety devices such as cabling or safetyroofing shoes, sometimes this is not enough in the face of accidentaltrips due to miss-steps, unseen obstacles on the roof, or unexpectedwind shears, etc.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide novel slip preventiveprotective wear for anyone with a need to be on a roof or sloped surfaceor a steep sloped surface to mitigate or protect against fall injuriesor deaths.

It is further an object of the invention to effect the previous objectwith forms of protective over-clothing that enhances the grip of onethat traverses upon a roof or sloped surface or a steep sloped surface.

It is still further an object of the invention to effect the previousobjects with protective wear that is available from more than onearticle of protective wear clothing selected from at least one of thefollowing group: shirt, coat, jacket, overalls, coveralls, jumpsuit,shorts, slip-on slip-over shorts, slip-on slip-over shirts, slip-onslip-over pants, slip-on slip-over clothing, forearm coverings in whichthe articles of clothing have a substantial gripping surface.

It is still further an object of the invention to effect the previousobjects with protective wear in which an article of gripping clothing isa variety which is convenient and quickly fastenable so as to dissuadesomeone in a rush from not accepting the risk of injury because thesafety gear or clothing is bulky and time consuming to put on. As partof this object of the invention, to provide a variety of the safetyclothing that is the non-bulky slip-on slip-over all around grippingsurface pants, shirts, and shorts is targeted to satisfy this objectiveneed.

It is still further an object of the invention to effect the previousobjects with protective wear in which an article of gripping clothing isvariety that is lightweight, breathable, and rip-resistant which couldalso be used for roof or sloped surface or a steep sloped surfaceincluding typical steep hiking paths and mountain inclines.

It is still further an object of the invention to effect the previousobjects with protective wear in which an article of gripping clothing tobe available in attachable sections and combinations for needs of thosetraversing upon a roof or sloped surface or a steep sloped surface.Examples are shirts attaching to the pants, forearm coverings attachingto the shirts, legging extensions attaching to the shorts.

It is still even further an object of the invention to effect theprevious objects with protective wear in which an article of grippingclothing is to be available in all weather situations.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

There is other roofing safety wear designed for use on roofs. Typical ofthese is U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,957 issued to Glenn P. Williford & James H.Oliver Aug. 5, 1997. The current invention is distinguished and novelfrom the former in that the current invention has a non-bulky and is asthin as regular conventional clothing variety. The current invention isalso distinguished as it has a gripping surface material this is on asubstantial portion of the clothing meaning, it is on seventy five toone hundred percent of the article of safety clothing. With a grippingsurface area on a substantial proportion of the clothing, slipresistance is increased whether one falls backwards, forwards, orsideways. Moreover, in the current invention an article of grippingsafety clothing such as pants can be put in place of regularconventional wear or can be of the slip-on slip-over variety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to novel safety wear to be worn by anyone with aneed to be on a roof or sloped surface or a steep sloped surface. Thisanti-slip clothing can provide an extra factor of protection upon anunexpected slips and falls upon a roof or sloped surface or a steepsloped surface. The improved gripping clothing could prevent injuries ordeaths. Within this invention the gripping surface material will be uponthe clothes themselves and therefore there is a better chance to preventthe fast slide down the roof or sloped surface or a steep sloped surfacein a fall. With the gripping surface material available on all surfaceareas of the safety clothing this provides for an extra factor ofanti-slip protection. It could very well be that someone traversing uponthe roof falls backwards or frontwards or sideways and due to the allaround gripping surface a slide off the roof can be prevented. Thegripping surface can be homogeneous such as but not limited to a sheetof rubber, or can be made of one or more than one type of elastomer, ora homogeneous gripping surface material can employ a homogeneous textureor textures, patterned or un-patterned, or the a homogeneous grippingsurface can be a gripping surface that is currently employed in gloveswith gripping surfaces, or the homogeneous gripping surface can consistof protruding members that semi-penetrate the roof for added slipresistance. The protruding members can be fastened and made out ofcommercial available material such as is found on climbing boots, sportscleats, or slip-on ice shoes.

The gripping surface material or commercially available releasableadhesive can be applied to the finished conventional clothing or duringassembly by a very simple means such as by brushing, painting, orspraying. Moreover, commercially available gripping surface material canbe cut into various gripping pattern shapes and sewn or glued directlyupon convention clothing. The greater the percentage or gripping surfacemeans upon the clothing the greater the slip resistance created. Thisinvention's focus is on having a substantial proportion of the safetyclothing, seventy five to one hundred percent or more containing thegripping surface material on the front, the back, and the sides.However, even a lesser amount under twenty five percent could offerprotection as well. The coverage area of gripping surface material canbe any commercially available releasable adhesive, may be substantiallyuniform or uniform externally applied adhesive coating or impregnationof gripping surface material within the clothing itself. The arrangementof the pattern or the shape of the gripping surface material or appliedadhesive can be in any form that provides sufficient anti-slip propertyto the clothing which for better results should be seventy five to onehundred percent the surface area of the clothing article. The patterncan be stripes that are in an angled diagonal orientation, arrangedparallel, or non-parallel, horizontally, vertically, used as chevrons,or herringbone. The stripes can be continuous or on-continuous lines,like dashes, dots can be asymmetrical, non-circular or polygon in shapeand uniformly or non-uniformly arranged. The patterns can also be in aspider web pattern, or in the pattern of Bengal tiger stripes.

The adhesive used can be selected from commercially available releasableor contact pressure sensitive releasable adhesive that will adhere tothe articles of safety clothing and the steep sloped surface to preventslipping between the wearer of the clothing and a roof, sloped surfaceor a steep sloped surface

A variety of the safety clothing is convenient and quickly fastenable soas to dissuade someone in a rush from accepting the risk of injuryrather than taking the time to put on the safety clothing. A pluralityof straps, a piece of fabric of small hooks that sticks to acorresponding fabric of small loops hook and loop fasteners, and/orVELCRO fasteners, enables the slip-on slip-over shorts to be quicklysecured on or over the conventional clothing. Draw strings may also beemployed or other commercially available clothing fasteners used todate.

An important article of the safety clothing will be the convenientslip-on slip-over all over gripping shorts which will be quickly andsecurely fastenable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES AND THE REFERENCED NUMBERS

The advantages described herein will be more fully understood by readingan example of an embodiment in which the invention is used to advantage,referred to herein as the Detailed Description with reference to thedrawings wherein:

Referring to FIG. 1 is an illustrative front view of an article ofsafety slip-on slip-over shorts showing a gripping surface material thathas a greatly substantial amount of gripping surface material upon thesafety slip-on slip-over shorts; FIG. 1 item 1 the article of clothingthat the gripping material was applied to; FIG. 1 item 2 shows the dotgripping pattern option; FIG. 1 item 3 shows VELCRO straps or a piece offabric of small hooks that sticks to a corresponding fabric of smallloops hook and loop fasteners used to fasten the slip-on slip-over sortsover the existing conventional clothing;

Referring to FIG. 2 is an illustrative rear view of an article of safetyslip-on slip-over shorts showing a gripping surface material that has agreatly substantial amount of gripping surface material upon the safetyslip-on slip-over shorts; FIG. 2 item 1 the article of clothing that thegripping material was applied to; FIG. 2 item 2 shows the dot grippingpattern option; FIG. 2 item 3 shows VELCRO straps, or a piece of fabricof small hooks that sticks to a corresponding fabric of small loops hookand loop fasteners used to fasten the slip-on slip-over sorts over theexisting conventional clothing; FIG. 2 item 4 shows the optionallyapplied non-slip surface on the inside of the slip-on slip-over shorts;

Referring to FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing the potentialpatterns of the applied gripping surface material as in FIG. 3 item 1which is a dot that could be used in a pattern of dots, as in FIG. 3item 2 which is a strip which could be used in a pattern of a series ofstripes or parallel lines or perpendicular lines, as in FIG. 3 item 3which is a chevron pattern, as in FIG. 3 item 4 which is a random shapeor blob, as in FIG. 3 item 5 which is a spider web pattern; as in FIG. 3item 6 which is Bengal Tiger Strip pattern;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view of an article of shirt clothing showing agripping surface material that has a substantial amount of grippingsurface material applied upon the safety clothing; FIG. 4 item 1 showsthe dot gripping pattern; FIG. 4 item 6 shows the article of clothingthat the gripping material was applied to;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view of an article of shirt clothing showing agripping surface material that has a greatly substantial amount ofgripping surface material applied upon the safety clothing; FIG. 5 item1 shows the dot gripping pattern; FIG. 5 item 6 shows the article ofclothing the gripping material was applied to;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative view of an article of shirt clothing showing agripping surface material that has a greatly substantial amount ofgripping surface material upon the safety clothing using a tightdiagonal line pattern of gripping surface material very substantiallyapplied;

FIG. 7 is an illustrative view of an article of overall clothing showinga gripping surface material that has been applied to a less than asubstantial amount of gripping surface material applied upon the safetyclothing; FIG. 7 item 1 shows the dot gripping pattern; FIG. 7 item 7shows the article of clothing the gripping material was applied to;

FIG. 8 is an illustrative view of an article of overall clothing showinga gripping surface material that has a substantial amount of grippingsurface material that has been applied upon the safety clothing; FIG. 8item 1 shows the dot gripping pattern; FIG. 8 item 7 shows the articleof clothing that the gripping material was applied to;

FIG. 9 is an illustrative view of an article of overall clothing showinga gripping surface material that has a greatly substantial amount ofgripping surface material applied upon the safety clothing; FIG. 9 item1 shows the dot gripping pattern; FIG. 9 item 7 shows the article ofclothing that the gripping material was applied to;

FIG. 10 is an illustrative view of an article of overall clothingshowing a gripping surface material that has a greatly substantialamount of gripping surface material applied upon the safety clothing;FIG. 10 item 1 shows a tight diagonal line pattern; FIG. 10 item 7 showsthe article of clothing that the gripping material was applied to;

FIG. 11 is an illustrative view of an article of overall clothingshowing a gripping surface material that has a greatly substantialamount of gripping surface material applied upon the safety clothing;FIG. 11 item 1 shows a dot gripping pattern; FIG. 11 item 7 shows thearticle of clothing that the gripping material was applied to; FIG. 11item 8 shows the optionally applied non-slip surface on the inside ofthe article of clothing;

FIG. 12 is an illustrative view of an article of short-sleeve shirtclothing showing a gripping surface material that has a greatlysubstantial amount of gripping surface material upon the safetyclothing; FIG. 12 item 1 shows a chevron pattern; FIG. 12 item 9 showsthe article of clothing the gripping material was applied to; FIG. 12item 8 shows the optionally applied non-slip surface on the inside ofthe article of clothing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout thespecification and drawings with the same reference numeralsrespectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and incertain views, parts may have been exaggerated for purposes of clarity.The best embodiment of the gripping safety clothing is for use on aroof, or a sloped surface or a steep sloped surface to prevent ormitigate the injuries or death of a fall.

Definitions

-   -   1. Gripping Surface Material—the gripping surface material can        be made of one kind of material such as but not limited to a        sheet of rubber, or can be made of one or more than one type of        elastomer, or the homogeneous gripping surface material can        employ a homogeneous texture or textures, homogeneous or        non-homogeneous patterned or un-patterned, or homogeneous        gripping surface can be a gripping surface that is currently        employed in gloves with gripping surfaces, or the homogeneous        gripping surface can consist of protruding members that        semi-penetrate the roof for added slip resistance.    -   2. Substantial Gripping Surface Area—seventy five percent to one        hundred percent of gripping surface.    -   3. Slip-on Slip-over Shorts—shorts that slip on and slip over        existing conventional clothing with our without fasteners.    -   4. Slip resistant region—the region or area in which the        gripping material has been applied to.    -   5. Slip-on Slip-over shorts—shorts that are easily slipped on or        off with or without fasteners and that can slip on and slip over        existing conventional clothing.    -   6. Slip-on Slip-over clothing—an article of clothing that is        easily slipped on or off with or without fasteners, and that can        slip on and slip over existing conventional clothing.    -   7. Anti-slip slip-on slip-over shorts—slip-on slip-over shorts        having a gripping surface material applied to a substantial        gripping surface area of the shorts clothing area and are easily        slipped on or slipped off with or without fasteners and that can        slip on and slip over existing conventional clothing.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of traversing a roof, comprising thesteps of: 1) providing an article of clothing selected from at least oneof the following: shorts, pants, jumpsuit; the article of clothinghaving an exterior surface, wherein the article of clothing isconfigured to slip-on and slip-off existing clothing, and wherein theexterior surface is substantially covered with a pattern of slipresistant gripping material; and, wherein the article of clothing has acinching means to prevent the end of the leg holes and arm holes of thearticle of clothing from rolling upward after being worn over theexisting clothing; 2) donning the article of clothing while on a roof,or, prior to traversing a roof; 3) traversing a roof; 4) dismountingfrom the roof; 5) removing the article of clothing.
 2. A method as setforth in claim 1, wherein two to eight inches of the interior surfacearea of the leg and arm holes of the article of clothing issubstantially covered with a pattern of clothing-to-clothing slipresistant gripping material.
 3. A method as set forth in claim 1,wherein all of the interior surface area of the article of clothing issubstantially covered with a pattern of clothing-to-clothing slipresistant gripping material.